Dungeon Raider System
Chapter 841 - 841: Rathcroghan Part 2

From the inside of the ship, Uriel studied the impossibly large building that should have been nothing but ruins. Its mountainous size eclipsed the sun, but as time passed the shadow cast by the building shifted allowing Uriel to inspect its surface with the help of binoculars.

"Yes!" He exclaimed in joy the moment he saw ancient carvings on the surface of the building, though due to the distance it was impossible to read them.

"Did you figure out why isn't this place in ruins?" Asked Jon after sipping some coffee to take the alcohol out of his body.

"No, but that's kind of obvious. Someone must have crushed flux orbs nearby." Uriel shrugged dismissively, but Jon knew the truth and it was not so simple as Uriel hoped.

"You're still a rookie wannabe archaeologist," Jon sighed mockingly. "ancient ruins all over the world started self repairing for a while now. At first it was impossible to notice, but now you can notice the difference in the span of a single day or why else do you think the Mapple corporation shared the location of the duingeons? They did it because they're impossible to hide."

"Just so you know, I graduated." Uriel grunted.

"Cheers, mate." Jon lifted his coffee mug. Anyone who knew their relationship would have taken it as a sarcastic gesture, but Jon was actually being sincere and Uriel appreciated it and actually felt flattered. After all, just because Jon's character was questionable and unpleasant in more ways than Uriel could express with words it didn't mean his achievements as an archaeologist were any less significant.

"It's just as I suspected...," Luna butted in. "every time a cryptid is killed its energy is released to the atmosphere and humans can absorb a part of it to activate their cells and become hunters."

"Even I know that." Nika scratched her head.

"She said it is released to the atmosphere, not directly to the hunter." Jon explained.

"My point exactly. This applies to whenever a cryptid or a hunter dies." Luna continued.

"That may be the case, but dungeons don't repair themselves with flux energy." Uriel rebuked, then Medusa joined in the conversation.

"Who says the same principle can't be applied to the substance that comes out when we crush flux orbs? If that substance is released into the atmosphere, then..."

"That would make perfect sense! You are so smart Winnie." Jon cheered.

"This is bad news. If we take the arrival as the starting point, then it means our atmosphere is saturated with flux energy and substance." Uriel bit his thumb nail in anxiety.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Nika tilted her head.

"What happens when cryptids pick up on a powerful flux signature? Yeah, the same would happen to our world. We're becoming a beacon for larger more powerful things, like titans or gods." Uriel said somberly. It took a minute for the implications to sink in and while Uriel and Luna started thinking on the possible ramifications for their respective fields of study, the rest could not get past the intrusive thought 'humanity is doomed'.

Jon, on the other hand, took their distraction as a chance to be the first one to set foot on land and shout 'dibs' with the cocky smirk Uriel hated so much.

"This isn't an elementary school, you can't claim dibs on stuff." Uriel spoke to Jon with a smirk of his own despite knowing he wouldn't heard him.

"Actually, according to Mapple's rules and regulations, the first one to touch ground earns the first claim right and becomes the leader of the expedition." Medusa explained causing Uriel's smirk to turn upside down and Jon didn't miss a second of it. Jon then proceeded to do a celebratory dance Uriel recognized as riverdancing, though instead of its cultural significance it was meant as a gloat.

"I'll kill him, definitely this time." Uriel said through gritted teeth that would have caused Medusa to worry if not for her uncle being one of the most powerful hunters in the world.

Jon continued with his childish mockery blissfully ignorant that just his brief stay outside the zeppelin was enough for cryptids from kilometers away to pick up on his energy signature, but that lasted until a slight tremor in the ground ominously announced the coming of something too big and probably too evil for a single holy rank hunter to deal with.

"Open the door!" Jon hurriedly knocked on the hatch, the same hatch Uriel held from the other side with the widest grin he was capable of mustering.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you."

"You bloody cheeky... if I can hear you, then you can hear me too!" Jon shouted as he turned his head to look back. He pondered for a second if breaking the hatch would be a good idea, but

"I'm just a lowly heavenly rank hunter, I can't hear that well." Uriel said in his most convincing innocent tone, which was not convincing at all.

In the end, Medusa opened the cargo bay and Jon rushed over there at the speed only holy rank hunters could, though despite it being a short distance he was short of breath by the time he reached the bridge.

"You bloody butthead, don't you know we're close to Wales?" Jon said, then continued when Uriel didn't show any sign of concern. "there's a bloody dragon nearby!"

"An Oillipheist... interesting." Luna's eyes glimmered in joy and had to be stopped from immediately exiting the ship in a rush. Though due to her being in a wheelchair it was as easy as blocking her way.

The presence of a dragon in the vicinity threw a monkey wrench in Uriel's plan to immediately start the exploration and they had to wait until Jon's energy signature dissipated in the outside. They didn't know how much it would take, but just to be safe they decided to also wait for Magellan if only to get rid of Jon as soon as possible.

Thankfully, this didn't take too long as Magellan's ship was deserving to be called top of the line and they hailed the Pegasus as soon as they came in radio contact sign.

"I'll commend you for your efforts in sabotaging us, Nika, but although loading your ship with toilet was a bad strategic move on your part. Don't come crying to us when you run out of provisions." He said trying and failing to hide his anger after being humiliated in front of the people who admired him.

"I got us dibs on the ruins," Jon grabbed the radio out from Miss Dragonfang's hands and spoke casually. "but I think we should partner up with them."

"Denied, you might be our head archaeologist, but I'm in charge of the strategic side of things." Magellan replied shortly. He did not like Jon and not without reason. When he first learned that the world's most prominent archaeologist was joining his crew for the expedition Magellan understood he truly was at the peak of the Mapple corporation. After all, why else would they give him so many resources and powerful hunters to command along with the best ship available for his needs.

However, the so called world's best archaeologist turned out to be a drunk that loved to cause mischief and flirt with women all day. Even with his girlfriend, even with him present. Worst part was that she didn't turn him down.

"Well, you tried." Uriel placed a hand on Jon's shoulder as he walked past him, then exited the Pegasus along with Medusa and Luna ready to enter the dungeon.

"Anything we should worry about?" Medusa asked.

"The fact that you don't need to use a blindfold anymore worries me." Luna said.

"I won't talk about it and unless you're ready to wheel yourself into the dungeon then you better stop asking about it." Medusa replied managing to do what Uriel had never achieved, getting Luna to stop asking questions.

"I should probably mention...," Uriel said after pondering for a while. "this is the place where the first Samheim was held."

"Is that a party? It sounds like a party." Nika asked from Uriel's shadow.

"Get back to the ship, your energy signature makes it riskier for us. I'll call you if we need you." Uriel commanded which Nika did, but not before making an exaggerated pout.

"What is a Samheim?" Luna asked and Uriel knew better than to dodge her question.

"Well... it's Halloween." Uriel's answer triggered something far more ominous than any land tremor or even the known presence of a dragon in the vicinity.

"Shit." Luna cursed.

This was the ultimate sign that they were heading into danger as the same huntress that was willing to poke her head out the window just to take a peek at a dragon showed signs of concern, but that was not enough to stop the brave Dungeon Raiders from doing what they did best.

[System notice] You are currently entering the Samheim dungeon.